Opening: The whoo-eeeh-follow-me holler of the six o-clock train rumbled right into Dede’s dreams. She rode across a prairie so wide even the angels couldn’t see the end of it. Her family had a plan. They would own a place in that open land.

Synopsis:

The Pattons want to leave sharecropping behind and have a farm of their very own. Mama sews dresses and Papa builds furniture to make extra money at night, and Dede shines shoes at the train station. It will take years before her family will save enough to pay off their debt and by their own place.

One day Dede sees a notice offering free land for colored folks in Nicodemus, Kansas. The Pattons pack their bags and board a train. It’s time for them to claim and stake out a homestead near the brand-new town of Nicodemus. They build a sod home along the bank of the Solomon River before winter. Papa stakes out the boundaries of their claim. Before they can plow and plant their fields, they must face their first winter on the prairie. While they hunt for food, they meet Shanka Sabe, a member of the Native American Osage Nation, who shares his food with them. Will the Pattons find a better future for themselves?

Why I like this book:

The cover is gorgeous, as are the expressive and detailed watercolor illustrations by Nicole Tadgell. They compliment A. LaFaye’s uplifting and poetic narrative about these African-American pioneers traveling west — building sod homes, hunting food, surviving harsh winters, plowing the spring fields, building fences, planting crops, meeting new neighbors and watching a town come to life.

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town, is a perfect classroom share for Black History month. It is a wonderful peek into a period of history that few know about. Nicodemus was founded in the late 1870s by Exodusters — former slaves and sharecroppers, like Dede’s family, who flocked to the Kansas prairie to stake out land, build a homestead and farm. I love that it is shared in a children’s picture book.

Resources: Make sure you check out the historical information About the Exodusters in the back of the book. There is another important piece of history that is briefly touched on in the book — the Native Americans who were forced to sell their lands in the Great Plains and move to Oklahoma. Check out this website, to learn more about Nicodemus and the amazing people who settled there. Each year the current residents, the families of former resident, and the descendants of the original settlers celebrate the Nicodemus Emancipation and Homecoming during the third week in July.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.